How To Fast Healthily During Ramadhan: Tips For Nursing Moms!

Sempena dah nak dekat bulan Ramadhan ni, saya copy paste sedikit info mengenai penyusuan ketika berpuasa..

Dipetik dari: http://www.momslittleones.com/catalog/download/Breastfeeding_Talk(Healthy_Ramadhan).pdf

Basically, a mother’s health will not be affected as long as she eats well and maintains a healthy diet.

Do I need to maintain a perfect diet while breastfeeding?

The short answer to this question is NO – you do not need to maintain a perfect diet in order to provide quality milk for your baby. In fact, research tells us that the quality of a mother’s diet has little influence on her milk. Nature is very forgiving – mother’s milk is designed to provide for and protect baby even in times of hardship and famine. A poor diet is more likely to affect the mother than her breastfed baby.
Are healthy eating habits recommended for mom? Absolutely! You will be healthier and feel better if you eat well. Therefore, it is best for anyone to eat a variety of foods, in close to their naturally-occurring state. Mothers must also be cautious when taking overly processed foods or those exposed to chemicals. This is important as contaminants do get passed on to your baby from the food you eat.

Nutritional Requirements
Basically a nursing mother needs 2550Kcal of energy, which is consists of 65g protein, 1200mg calcium, 28mg iron, 1200mcg Vitamin A, 10.0 mcg Vitamin D, 300 mcg folic acid, 50mg vitamin C and 16.6mcg of vitamin B6.

Recommendations

• A nutritious diet includes a variety of foods. This guide will help you plan a nutritious diet.
• Drink fluids like milk, juice, soup or water when you are thirsty. A good way to remember to drink emough is to have a glass of milk, juice or water each time you breatfeed your baby.
• It is best not to diet while you are breastfeeding, but you can limit foods that are high in sugar and fat.
• Calcium is very important mineral for breastfeeding women. Soya milk is one of the best sources of calcium. If you don’t like any form of milk, add cheese, another food source of calcium, to eggs, rice dishes, and macaroni. Other food sources of calcium are greens, dried beans, broccoli, almonds, sardines, and salmon.

Recommended food intake
Grains/cereals – 12 servings
Fats, oils & sweets – 10 tsp
Meat, fish, eggs, beans & peas – 5 servings
Milk, dairy products – 2-3 servings
Vegetables and fruits – 3-4 servings

• Vegetables should always be eaten alone. Rule of thumbs, eat it alone or leave it alone. Why? It takes at most 30 mins to exit your digestive system.
• If taken with other food, it will cause fermentation and interfere with the absorption of vital nutrients from the source.
• In summary, it is not the amount of Calcoum that is significant. Its your ability to absorb the calcium your digesting and utilising it prroperly.
• Rule of thumb, drink when thirsty. Best to drink everytime you’re feeding since most mother tend to forget.

Fasting and Breastfeeding: Challeges for Nursing Moms

• Hunger pangs!
• Dizziness and fatigue
• Low milk supply

With the month of ramadhan upon us it is useful and important to look at ways of trying to maintain a healthy diet whilst fasting. Fasting for 12 hours or more can lead to dizziness and fatigue and a lowering of metabolic rate as a means of conserving calories or energy especially for breastfeeding mothers. Here are some simple guidelines and tips to make sure that your diet remains balanced and healthy during this fasting period:

• Do not skip sahur!
• Focus on quality NOT quantity. Its all about taking the right food to get the required nutrients
• Drink sufficient fluids. Avoid caffeine, soft drinks, tea. Caffeine will drain you off valuable minerals needed to sustain the fasting body during the day. It wil also make baby irritable and wakeful.
• Breakfast provides the essential energy and nutrients needed for concentration, while keeping hunger symptoms like headaches, fatigues, drowsiness and restlessness at bay. In addition, it speeds our metabolic rates. It is therefore vital to ensure an adequate intake at breakfast time.
• Fasting should not impact your milk supply. To cite an example, even during non-fasting days some mothers still experience low milk supply. But this may not be 100% related to food. More often than not, it has to do with demand.
• Eat enough carbohydrate foods – especially those rich in fibre. These foods provide the body with energy. They are rich in B vitamins, and are excellent source of fibre. Hi-fibre foods also fills you up more than low-fibre counterparts. Foods high in fibre include brown rice, wholegrains, fresh fruits and raw veggies.
• Remember your fruits and vegetables: Fruits and vegetables add colour and variety to the menu. They are “protective” foods as they help the body fight off sickness and disease. They are also rich sources of a variety of vitamins, minerals, and fibre, and are low in calories.
• Take supplement if need be

We all know that maintaining a balanced diet by eating healthily has a vital influence on one’s well being. Try following the above principles so that this fast period does not sway too much from the principles of goo nutrition.

Milk Supply

• Maintain daily pumping session
• Feed or pump more at night -  pump at night before going to bed or while feeding your baby.
• Pump in the morning before sahur (while your milk is in abundance). If baby is feeding from you then FEED and PUMP at the same time.
• Best to drink fluids before a pumping session
• Bring along a packet of dates in your handbag. You never know when you might get stuck in some silly traffic jam and end up breaking your fast in the car. Make sure you have a bottle of water too. Upon arriving home, make sure that you break your fast before attending to your baby (if possible).
• Apply relaxation techniques as much as possible during a feeding or pumping session
• Try to stock up more now in preparation for Ramadhan
• Take milk boosters
• And finally, pray and make doa that Allah will help you through… InsyaAllah you will prevail! Good luck and all the best!

** Harap2 la saya dapat meneruskan penyusuan masa Ramadhan nanti..masa tu Nazhan 8-9 bulan